Work supporting attachment for hoists



p 7, H. E. SLOAN ET AL 2,215,431

WORK SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR HOISTS Filed March 22 ,1940

Patented Sept. 17, 1940' UNITED STATES we I WORK SUPPORTING HOI ATTACHMENT FOR STS Harry E. Sloan and Harry E. Sloan, Jr., Hartford, and George A. Highberg, West Hartford, Conn, assignors to The Cushman Chuck Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application March 22, 1940, Serial No. 325,402

8 Claims;

This invention relates to devices for supporting pieces of work and for placing them in position for the operation of machine tools thereon, and an object. of the invention, among others, is the 13 production of a support that shall be simple in construction and operation and that may be readily manipulated for the purpose intended.

One form of a work support embodying the invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure'l is a view in elevation of the device.

Figure 2 is'a view in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a view looking at the lower end of the device.

In the use of hoists, of which those of the electric type are largely in use at the present time, it is practically impossible to determine the exact point at which a load on the supporting hook may be located and the use of such hoists for deposit of work pieces, particularly those of a heavy character, upon bases or supports for the operation of machine tools is unsatisfactory for the reason that it is impossible to place such a work piece upon the bed without letting it drop from a considerable height. It is therefore common practice to suspend the work piece above the base or support upon which it .is to rest and then lower it by the operation of the hoist to a point on the base as near that at which it is known the hoist may be stopped in its downward movement. The work piece is then lowered on to the base by the use of other devices.

With the use of the hoist attachment herein illustrated and described this annoyance is done away with and the deposit of the work piece gently upon the base and without force is effected, this attachment comprising a case including two members 5-6 which may be secured together as by means of screws 7. A suspending ring 8 by means of which the attachment may be hung from a hook 9 of a hoist is secured to the upper end of the case. A load lowering member comprising a hub l and a gear II is 45 rotatably mounted in the case, as upon a ball bearing [2 located in a recess in the gear and resting upon a lip 13 surrounding a hole [4 through the lower part of the case, as shown in Fig. 2.

A lowering spindle I5 is slidably mounted in the hole M, the shank l 6 of the spindle being threaded to engage a threaded hole in the hub Ill. The spindle is held from rotation by a spline l'l extending from the spindle into a groove l8 in the 55 case member 6. A lowering hook I9 is secured to the outer orlower end of the spindle as a means for suspending a load from the attachment.

A lowering pinion 20 is rotatably. mounted in the case member 6, as in a collar 2!, a hub 22 extending from the pinion being adapted to receive a handle 23 by means of which the pinion may be rotated to turn the gear I I.

To use this device the attachment is placed upon the hook 9, the hook It being in a raised position relative to the case. By means of the hoist bearing the hook 9 the hook I9 is attached to the piece of work 24 in any usual manner and the hoist is then operated to place the piece of work immediately over the spot upon the'ba'se or support 25 where it is to be deposited. The hoist is then operated in the usual manner to lower the attachment with the piece of work suspended therefrom to a point that may be definitely fixed with the work piece as close as may be certainly known to the base upon which it is to be depos- 20 ited. The handle 23 is then operated to rotate the pinion 20 and the gear I I in a direction to lower the hook l9 and the load 24 suspended thereon, and by this means the work is lowered gently and deposited on the base 25 without force or jar and for such operation on the work piece as may be desired.

It will be perceived that the main purpose of the attachment is for lowering a piece of work 24 from an elevation at which it has been placed by the operation of the hoist, and for this reason certain parts have been qualified by the word lowered, but it will be understood that the attachment may be used for raising a load under circumstances which will permit or require such use.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our invention, together with the device which we now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but we desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

We claim:

1. A work support including a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a lowering member rotatably supported in said case, a supporting member extending into the case and movable longitudinally therein, a threaded connection between said supporting member and said lowering member to cause said longitudinal movement, and means for rotating said lowering member.

2. A work support including a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a lowering member rotatably supported in said case and having a threaded hole therein, a supporting member extending into the case and threaded into said threaded hole, and means for rotating said lowering member.

3. A work supportincluding a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a ball bearing seated upon a shoulder within the case, a lowering member located in the case and rotatably seated upon said ball bearing, a supporting mem ber extending into the case and screw threadedly engaged with said lowering member, and means for rotating said lowering member.

4. A work support including a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a lowering member rotatably supported in the case, a threaded supporting member extending into a threaded hole in said lowering member, means for preventing rotation of said supporting member, and means for rotating said lowering member.

5. A work support including a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a lowering member including a gear supported in the case, a supporting member extending into the case and movable longitudinally therein, a threaded connection between said supporting member and said lowering member to cause said longitudinal movement, a pinion engaged with said gear and having a hub extending without the case, and means for rotating said pinion.

6. A work support including a case having a chamber therein, means for suspending said case member from a hoist, a lowering member rotatably supported in said chamber, a supporting member extending into said chamber and threadedly engaged with said lowering member that constitutes the sole means for causing longitudinal movement of said supporting member, and means for rotating said lowering member.

7. A Work support including a case'member, means for-suspending said case member from a hoist, a second case member secured to the first mentioned case member as by means of bolts, the case comprising said members having a chamber therein, a lowering member comprising a gear rotatably mounted in said chamber and having a threaded hub, a supporting member extending into said chamber and having a shank screw threadedly engaged with said hub, said gear having a ball bearing in the lower case member, a pinion meshed with said gear, and a hub extending from said pinion through the side of the case member and having means for attachment of a handle.

8. A work support including a case, means for suspending said case from a hoist, a lowering member rotatably supported in said case, a supporting member extending into the case, a threaded connectionbetween said supporting member and said lowering member, the engaging threads of said connection being of a pitch to prevent rotation of the lowering member by force applied longitudinally to the supporting member, and means for rotating said loweringmember.

HARRY E. SLOAN. 'HARRY E. SLOAN, JR.

GEORGE A. HIGHBERG. 

